Banda Aceh - Gheos Worldguide

Banda Aceh (بند اچيه)

Banda Aceh was founded in 1205 as Banda Aceh Darussalam and it was subsequently ruled by the Sultanate of Aceh until Dutch and British explorers started arriving in the 18th century. By the end of that century, the British had seized large parts of the Sultanate.

In 1874, the Dutch took over control and they stayed until 1948, after which they finally accepted Indonesia's independence.

Some violence occurs at times in the region, as the Free Aceh Movement fights for an independent Islamic state. The Aceh province is Indonesia's most staunchly Muslim and is run under Islamic law, although indigenous groups also embrace animism. Offerings and rituals continue to play an important part in their lives.

The Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami that struck the western coast of Sumatra in 2004 almost completely flattened the city and caused some 60,000 fatalities. In the aftermath of the disaster the conflicts have all but ceased. Most of Banda Aceh has been rebuilt.

Banda Aceh is a relaxing, friendly place with a rich history. Because of its northern location, Banda Aceh has always been an important trading port and as a result, the city's population is a mixture of Indonesian, Arab, Tamil, Chinese and indigenous groups. The people in Banda Aceh are generally taller than those in other parts of Indonesia.

Points of interest

The Aceh Museum was founded in 1915, making it one of the oldest museums in Indonesia. The museum's original building was a traditional Acehnese stage house. The building was originally used as the Aceh Pavilion during the De Koloniale Tentoonsteling (The Colonial Exhibition) in Semarang in 1914. It was returned to Aceh to house the Aceh Museum. In 1969, the building was moved to its current location and a new building was constructed adjacent to it. The museum exhibits a large collection of artefacts that are related to the history and cultural life of Aceh. It is located at Jalan Sultan Alaiddin Mahmudsyah.
The Aceh Tsunami Museum was established in 2009 as a symbolic reminder of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami disaster. It also serves as an educational center and an emergency disaster shelter in case the area is ever hit by a tsunami again. The museum offers a simulation of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. It also exhibits photographs and videos of the disaster, as well as artefacts that were recovered from the rubble. There are number of other places in Banda Aceh that have been established as memorials of the 2004 disaster. They include several mass burial centers and places where boats were carried several kilometers inland by the tsunami.
The Dutch Kerkhof Poucut Cemetery is a Dutch military burial ground. Its name is a combination of the Dutch word Kerkhof (graveyard) and the Acehnese word Poucut, which means prince. The Kerkhof Poucut is the largest Dutch military cemetery outside of the Netherlands. It is located in the center of town, adjacent to the tsunami museum.
Gunongan Historical Park (ڬونوڠن) was laid out in the 17th century. The grounds of the park contain a 17th-century palace and the Gunongan, which is a white circular structure that was erected for an unknown purpose.
The Kuil Palani Andawer is a Hindu temple that was originally built in 1934. In 2004, it was destroyed in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. It was rebuilt in 2012.
The Masjid Raya Baiturrahman (مسجد راي بيت الرحمن, Baiturrahman Grand Mosque) was built between 1879 and 1881, on the site of an earlier mosque. This earlier mosque had been built in 1612 and was destroyed by a fire, when Dutch troops conquered the area in 1873. The Dutch then rebuilt the mosque to keep the peace. Originally, it had 1 minaret and 1 dome, but more domes and minarets were added in 1935, 1958 and 1982. Currently the mosque has 7 domes and 8 minarets. The mosque was one of the few buildings that survived the destruction of the 2004 tsunami almost unscathed.
There are almost 100 other mosques in Banda Aceh, as well as 4 churches: the Hati Kudus Catholic Church, the Western Indonesian Protestant Church (GPIB), the Methodist Church (GMI) and the Batak Protestant Church (HKBP). The city is home to a Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple.
The PLTD Apung 1 is a boat that had been carried several kilometers inland by the 2004 tsunami. The water had carried the boat from the Ule Lheu beach to a location in the city center, where it still sits today as a memorial.
The nearby island of Pulau We offers a laid-back atmosphere and features deserted beaches on its rugged west coast.
Further south is the Gunung Leuser National Park. Organized excursions to the park are available in Banda Aceh.

There are several hotels and restaurants in Banda Aceh. The city is located on Sumatra's northernwestern tip at the mouth of the Aceh River, 1,775 km northwest of Jakarta and 435 km northwest of Medan.

Warning: Anyone traveling to Aceh should check the safety situation with their embassy in Jakarta as violence still occurs in the struggle of the Free Aceh Movement fighting for an independent Islamic state in the region.

Images